Professor Anita Simmers

I am Dean of the School of Health and Life Sciences at Glasgow Caledonian University, where I lead one of Scotland’s largest providers of health and life sciences education and research. As a senior academic leader with over 25 years’ experience in higher education, I bring together strategic leadership with a strong research background in clinical and behavioural visual neuroscience.

My career has been defined by a commitment to advancing healthcare research and education through innovation, collaboration, and inclusion. I have a sustained record of grant capture, doctoral supervision, and partnership building with the NHS, charities, and public-sector bodies. I have contributed nationally to research priority setting in sight loss and vision and have played a role in key NHS Scotland policy reviews in service recovery, nursing and AHP education.

I am a passionate advocate for research with real-world impact, and I strive to ensure that education and innovation are aligned with the evolving needs of Scotland’s health and care systems. With broad governance experience and a strong commitment to capacity-building and widening participation, I am well placed to support the strategic aims and charitable mission of Medical Research Scotland.